Jordan Jenkins was rated by several recruiting services as the top high school prospect in the state of Georgia in 2012. (Photo courtesy of 247Sports.com)

Hamilton, Georgia defensive end Jordan Jenkins was one of the top targets for both Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Auburn's Gene Chizik in the 2012 recruiting cycle, but the Crimson Tide and Tigers weren't able to woo Jenkins away from the home-state Georgia Bulldogs.

"I was a lot closer to Coach (Kirby) Smart than I was with Coach Saban," Jenkins told the AJC's Micheal Carvell. "When
Coach Saban is around a bunch of football players, he's more open than
he is when it's just you and your family. Coach Saban is a great coach
but he's a quiet guy. It sometimes felt awkward being around him."

Jenkins said that his family's lack of confidence in the long-term stability of the Tide coaching staff also played a role in his decision.

"My mom didn't know ... she was always uncertain how long coach Sal
Sunseri and coach Kirby Smart were going to be at Alabama. And then, a
few days after [I committed], Coach Sal was gone to Tennessee."

Jenkins also commented on Auburn head coach Gene Chizik's recruiting tactics, saying he found them hard to take seriously.

"When coach Gene Chizik
was comparing Auburn and Alabama, he put up a slide that showed they
had more wins, more this and that ... then he started talking about
Florida and how Will Muschamp follows in his shoes. I
started busting out laughing. He said 'When I was at Auburn the first
time [as an assistant] and after I left, Muschamp came here. Then I was
at Texas and after I left, Muschamp came there.' He went on and on. He
said 'Muschamp just follows in my footsteps' and it was hilarious the
way he said it."

Jenkins was rated the top player in the state of Georgia in 2012 according to 247Sports.